The present invention relates to a molding for attachment to an automotive vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relates to a belt weatherstrip molding for an automotive vehicle.
Belt weatherstrip molding is employed along the lower edge of a window of a door of an automotive vehicle to seal out the weather environment and to improve the appearance of the vehicle. Belt weatherstrips are generally secured to an upper metal flange or edge of an outer door panel of the vehicle. Belt weatherstrips conventionally are retained on the associated door outer panel flange by means of metal clips which are manufactured separately from the belt weatherstrip of separate pieces of metal and then are attached to the belt weatherstrip in another manufacturing step. Use of separate clips thus involves a separate manufacturing step and introduces a quality control factor.
For ease of manufacture, it is desirable that belt weatherstrip be constructed so as to be easily installed along the supporting flange or edge. On the other hand, it is also desirable that, once installed, the belt weatherstrip is strongly secured to the flange. It is generally intended during the manufacture of the automotive vehicle that the weatherstrip generally be permanently installed along the flange or edge to which it is attached. As weatherstrips are conventionally inserted on the door flanges during manufacture of vehicles, it can be said with respect to most weatherstrips that it is desirable that the weatherstrips have low insertion values but high extraction values to meet automotive assembly specifications.
In accordance with the present invention a belt weatherstrip is provided to have a spiral lock feature which provides low insertion and high extraction characteristics, thus, the weatherstrip of the present invention can be easily installed along a flange or edge which is to be sealed and yet, once installed, the weatherstrip strongly resists extraction or removal from the flange. Furthermore, the spiral lock retention means for the belt weatherstrip is provided from the metal of the belt weatherstrip itself and no separate manufacturing step is required to attach a discrete clip to the belt weatherstrip. The retention means is manufactured and positioned on the belt weatherstrip in one step during the process of manufacturing the belt weatherstrip's central support member. A belt weatherstrip made in accordance with the present invention thus conserves both manufacturing steps and metal.
Another aspect of the present invention is a downwardly projecting leg which engages flange of the door. This leg prevents or resists the belt weatherstrip made in accordance with the present invention from rotating or rocking relative to the flange.
A further aspect of the present invention is a ramp feature which guides the flange of the door into the channel to be engaged by the spiral retention feature.
Further understanding of the present invention will be had from the following disclosure and claims taken in conjunction with the drawings.